Who is Rongrong DeVoe? Some of you out there may not know her by name but you would surely recognize her work if you are part of our city’s fashion savvy elite. Rongrong is a fashion illustrator whose designs have been featured locally at many fashion social events, in pop-up shops such as the popular LAUNCH HTX Downtown Houston or in recent months as a larger-than-life mural in River Oaks District. She is a very modern young woman who has turned her creative talents into quite the entreprenural business venture for herself. I have personally been a fan since I first met her at a Chopard event during the ROD grand opening parties. Her assignment that night was to sit and sketch people as they tried on the jewelry of their dreams (she is one of few illustrators whose talent includes ‘live sketching’). For me it was a pair of special ruby earrings that danced around the half-million dollar mark…..truly a dream and Rongrong captured it!
Her Story: I became interested in chatting with Rongrong and writing her story because it is very much about achieving the American Dream….. if you are talented, work hard, and have a clear vision of what you want your success to look like, you can achieve it. This young woman, whose name Rongrong means “pink fluffy flower” was born in Quingdao, China. (yes, she lived near the brewery for the beer by the same name that we all love here in the states!). Her parents were entrepreneurs and worked a lot so they needed to ensure that their children were cared for daily. They placed them in many different schools; however, for Rongrong her favorite was most definitely art school. She began sketching as a child in China where she received all of her education. She had an eye for fashion at a young age and she and her parents felt she should go abroad to grow. She applied and was accepted to F.I.T. for their Masters Program…..and it was in NYC that her life as she knows it today began to “bloom”. She took to the New York fashion scene by storm, doing whatever she needed to learn as much as she could…..a cute anecdote was that she was an avid listener in class and wanted desperately to be called on by her professors but felt that they, as well as many of the fellow students, were intimidated by the pronunciation of her name so she developed the name “Jessie” to get her through…..she says it worked!!! Soon after, Jessie met the man of her dreams who had a job opportunity in Finance in the energy field down in Houston, Texas and here we are today. (not an unusual story for our town!)
How did it all start: For Rongrong her big break into making this talent of hers into a real business came in 2016, when after aggressively reaching out to many, different potential fashion/beauty clients she found an interest in her work by beauty mega brand Maybeline. They hired her for New York Fashion Week where she worked their lounge drawing on-the-spot sketches of Influencers and Journalists…..it was a win-win for her with both the influencers whose exposure was priceless and to Maybeline who went on to hire her for many projects after that. That was the beginning for her as she developed and curated her website to be her tool for attracting many designers, brands and celebrities to her talents.
Her Style: In chatting I was curious as to how Rongrong developed her style and since she started at such a young age, how it has evolved. She said that she began researching the world of art and specifically illustration at a young age and was greatly influenced by the artist, David Danton. He did much with watercolors and featured many celebs like Angelina Jolie and Madonna. From him she took both color and red carpet celeb style. However, her “Aha moment” was when she decided to leave the celeb imagery and began sketching the “girl next door” or more correctly the “fashion girl next door” whose look and style she took from a conglomeration of many looks of many people that were part of her everyday life. She takes pride in depicting her gals as a diverse group of empowered women…..all sizes, all ethnicities, all with a different fashion look and style.
The Products: Rongrong has done a smashing job of taking her high-fashion look to every day items. The things we use daily from coffee mugs to note pads, note books, pens, and much more can all be found gracing her signature art. She has found her appeal to reach women of all ages and has found a particularly strong connection with more mature women and their daughters through Happy Planners, a brand of daily planner that use her sticker art to encourage young gals and their Moms to share time together organizing their lives in a fun, creative way.
Most of her products are made in the U.S., some right here in Houston, Texas. Only select items that require very large quantities for some of her larger retail customers are produced in her native country. She strives to ensure that her products reflect the most current fashion and global trends. Coming out in August will be her first Health and Fitness collection. She also continues to strive forward and is developing more tech-friendly items in her collections such as Iphone and Ipad covers, as well. She interacts frequently with her clients online with over 150k followers on Instagram. She continues to focus on products that she knows will appeal to that woman……career-minded, entrepreneurs that are a reflection of Houston’s diversity. All shapes and sizes is her appeal. All of her products are available in her Galleria pop-up through the end of the year, in select department stores and always online through her website by clicking here .
To see a sampling of her many signature items, take a look below…….
Rongrong DeVoe with Roz Pactor, My Red Glasses
Rongrong is a Woman-to-Watch……..she is organized in her planning, she constantly works on her creative talent and skills and in her own way, this lovely “pink fluffy flower” is determined, assertive and driven…..all a part of her recipe for success. Stay tuned as this young woman tackles another big project happening very soon……..and she can’t wait to share this very special announcement with all!
photos courtesy of Michelle Watson, Catch Light Photography
Roz, you are unbelievable. This was the first time I literally scrolled completely through. I’ll never know how I missed your brother. I adore him too! Thanks for being a joyfull delight. Audrey